Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-10-21
LEATHER FROM HUMAN SKIN.
I FIourishing TAnnery Where II I. Pre-
pared for the Shoemaker.

y fIOuTssutu8 -
pared for the Shoemaker.
remember that two or three years ago
incidentally referred TO a proment ply
sician Of this city wearing shoes made
from the skin of negroes. He still ad-
heres to that custom, insisting that the
tanned hide Of IN African makes the most
enduring and the most pliable leather
known 10 nan.
Only last week / met him upon the
street with a brand new pair Of shoes.
looked at his foot wear, as always do
his pedal coverings have an irresistible
fascins lion for me-and said, with a smile:
''Is the down trodden African still be
meath your feet," In the most matter Of
fact way. and without the shadow Of q
smile, ne answered: Il suppose you mean
10 inquire if I still wear shoes made Of
the skin Of a negro. l certainly do, and
don't propose changing in that respect
until l lind . leather that is softer
and will last longer and present u
better appearance. have no senti-
ment about this matter. Were a
southerner-in the American sense Of
that word-I might be accused OF being
foreigner by birth, although now an
-hHiCiiSdu SiNiLSh py
fought in the rebellion that the blacks
might be freed. would use a white
mans skin for the same purpose IL it
were sufficiently thick, and if any one has
desire to wear my epidermis upon his
feet after have drawn my last breath he
has my ante mortem permission.
The doctors shoes always exhibit q
peculiarly rich lustrousness in their black
10 ma TINT fhav hlfrf
his feet The new pair he was using
when l last saw him emitted no creaking
sound and appeared as comfortable ~
though they had been worn n month
Their predecessors, he told me, had bell
in constant use for eight months. lie
obtains the skin from the bodies Of
negroes which have been dissected in ors
of our big medical colleges. The beat
leather is obtained from the thighs. The
soles are formed by placing several layers
Of leather together. The shoes are fash
ioned by French shoemaker Of this city,
who knows nothing of the true character
Of the leather, but who often wonders at
its exquisite smoOthness and says that IL
excels the finest French calfskin.
Do not for o moment think that this
doctor presents an exceptional case Of one
who puts the human slin to practical
use. Medical students frequently display
great variety OF articles in which the
skin or bones Of some dissectei mortal
has been grewsomely utilized and in bursts
Of generosity they sometimes present these
to their friends, who prize them highly.
One Of the dudest dudes in town carries II
match safe covered with portion of the
skin of Il beautiful young woman who was
found drowned in the Delaware river. 1t
still retains its natural color. Another
young man with whom l am acquainted
carries a cigar case made OF negro skin, Il
ghastly skull and cross bones appearing
known surgeons in this country, who re-
sides in this city, has a beautiful instru
ment case entirely covered with leather
made from an Africans skin. A young
society lady Of this city wears q beautiful
pair of dark slippers, the remarkable
lustrousness Of whose leather invariably
eXcites the admiration OF her friends
when they see them. Tho young doctor
who presented them to her recently re-
turned from an extended foreign tour,
and he told her that he had purchased
them from a Turk in Alexandria and that
he did not know what sort of leather they
were made Of. but he supposed it was the
skin OF some wild animal. As q matter
Of fact, the skin came from q negro Ca
daver which once was prone on Jeffer-
son college dissecting table. The rosettes
on the slippers were deftly fashioned from
the negro's kinky hair.-Philadelphis
News.